Presume nothing

The Benefactors
Wendy Erskine

This book comprises many different voices. For a long time, I struggled to see how they all fit together and was worried I’d missed something. And then, brilliantly, quite a way through the novel, it becomes clear how all these voices connect. I say it becomes clear, but in truth it’s never that clear – even once what links all these voices becomes apparent, there were moments when I’d come across a voice and wonder who is that? How are they connected? The novel gives voice even to those only peripherally connected to its main event, creating a polyphony of perspectives and points of view.

It feels an apt structure for a book set in our digital age, when information spreads quickly and anyone can express an opinion. Yet, ironically, many of the characters are mis- or under-informed, jumping to false conclusions, particularly when it comes to its main character, Misty.

Many of these misjudgements, the novel shows, arise from class prejudice. More than anything, this is a book about privilege and the injustices that the class system perpetuates. Although Misty suffers, the novel’s portrayal of her (and her family) is nuanced – she never becomes a victim. She and her family are hopeful, determined, vivid characters, sometimes funny, imperfect but entertaining.

Ultimately, this is a novel with a powerful message; as one of its voices emphatically proclaims, ‘no one should presume anything at any point about anybody’.